RSR Research: Multiple channels produce profits

Walnut Creek, Calif. – A new study from RSR Research concludes that retailers offering multiple selling channels connect more with consumers and are more profitable than retailers operating a single channel. Virtually every cross-channel selling tactic is being employed by retailers more this year than in 2012, with particularly strong growth in mobile.

Other results of “Omni-Channel 2013: The Long Road to Adoption” indicate that creating a consistent customer experience remains the most valued capability for retailers, but 54% of retail respondents indicate that their biggest inhibitor is that they do not have a single view of the customer across channels, and 80% of responding retailers say that 360° of inventory visibility is “very important”

In addition, the study finds that:

Omni-channel fulfillment was rated “very important” by 75% of retailers, a 27% increase from 2012.

The most popular cross-channel retail capability is in-store return of online purchases, with 71% of retailers engaging in this practice.

RSR recommends that retailers stay focused on the total customer experience across all selling environments by first designing the brand experience across all channels, determining the role of digital in the total experience, and aligning the organization to the brand, rather than channels.

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